Can-opener



A. HERCHEN.

CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1920.

1,387,396. Patented Aug. 9,1921. v

- other receptacle and to hold it in a fixed"po-;

UNITED STATES PATENT ,oFFlcE.

ARTHUR HERCI-IEN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE'ISLAND.

CAN-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A 9 1921 Application filed May 14, 1920. Serial No. 381,412.

erating upon a can or receptacle to readily open the same. 1

A further object of the invention is'to provide means in this opening device for gripping the cap or cover of a can, jar, or

sition while the body of the receptacle may be rotated or manipulated by hand, or the gripper may be rotated on the body to facilitate the removal of the cap or cover therefrom.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following detail description is taken in connection with the 'accompanymg drawings, the invention resldlng 1n the combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

tached to the handle of the opener, the same being shown as cut from sheet metal stock; and

Fig. 4 is a front View of this jaw member.

folded into operative position.

\Vith reference to the drawings, 10 designates the shank member of my improved opening device, which is an elongated bar preferably square or rectangular in cross-.

section.-

'The outer or free end of this bar is pro-, vided with an offset pointed piercing member 11 which serves a number of useful purposes; first, it is adapted to pierce the cover of a can at the center thereof to serve as a guide around which the cutter is rotated;

' adjusted position.

, ed the end 24 of the shank 10.

25 is inserted into the hollow portion of this second, the pointed end may serve as an ice pick, if desired; and'third, this member is slotted as at 12 to receive the end of a soldered sealing strip or band for winding and removing this band from the can, for the purpose of opening the same.

On this shank member is mounted a cutter and gripper plate 13 which is provided with a thumb-screw 14 for binding it in any One end of this plate has a downwardly turned flange 15 which is slotted as at 16 to serve as the bearingthrough which the shank portion 10 exturned rearwardly as at 17 and are notched as at 18 to provide gripping members for engaging the cap or cover of a bottle, can, or

the like.

.the shank member. 10 is adapted to pass.

One side edge of this plate is also provided with another form of can-cutting blade 20, while the opposite edge of this plate is provided with a hook-shaped member 21 adapted to serve as a bottle opener. 1 The handle member 22 of this opening device is preferably formed hollow as at 23 and in this hollow portion is slidabl mountspring handle to press against the end of this shank and hold the handle normally in extended position against the stop-pin 26 which slides in the slot 27.

On the inner end of this handle is the ferrule member 28 which is formed preferably in the shape illustrated in Fig. 3, having side arms 29 adapted to be folded around the handle, one corner 30 of. one or both arms being turned inwardly and jammed into the wood to secure the collar or ferrule in position thereon. Over the front end of this collar portion is turned. the plate 31 which is provided with a square opening 32 through which the shank 10 extends, and the lower edge of this plate is provided with a forwardly-extending flange or lip 33 the edge of which is notched at 34. a

In the operation of my improved can opener, in using the same to cut out the top of a circular can, I first jam the piercing end 11 down into the center of the can, then ten ds. The side edges of this flange are lay the shank parallel with the top of the can and adjust the cutter plate so that the cutter 18 will be in the right position to cut the proper size of circle through the head. If a rectangular can is desired to be opened, the knife 20 may be employed.

One of the essential features of the invention is the construction of the device whereby I am enabled to grip the cap or cover of a jar, can, bottle, or the like and hold the same rigid, While the body of the receptacle may be turned or rotated to start or loosen the cap thereon or the body may be held tightly and the gripper turned.

To accomplish this gripping action in a simple and eiiective way I first adjust the cutter-plate 13 along the shank member 10 to approximately the required size to receive the cap or cover to be gripped between the cooperating gripping edges 18 and 34; I then secure the plate in adjusted position by the set-screw let; next I place the corner or edge 35 of the plate against a table or otherobject to form a stop or rest for the same; and then I place the cap or cover to be removed between the grippers l8 and 34:. I then force the handle inward toward the edge 18. and so hold the same like a vise with one hand while I engage the body of the receptacle with the other hand and impart a relative twisting or rotating action thereto. which at once starts the cap or cover permitting it to be subsequently readily removed from the body.

Uponreleasing the handle it immediately returns to normal position ready to receive another operating action.

My improved opening device is very simple and practical in construction and effective in its operation and by its use any kind of a can, opened.

} The foregoing description is directed solely toward the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A receptacle opener comprising a shank having a gripping plate adjustably mounted thereon, a grippin jaw on said plate, means for securing said plate with its jaw in operative position on said shank, an operating handle slidable endwise on said shank and carrying a jaw cooperating with that on said plate whereby a single endwise movement of said handle will cause the receptacle cap to be gripped between the handle jaw and that on said plate so as to be readily unscrewed from the receptacle.

2. A receptacle opener comprising a shank having a gripping plate adjustably mounted thereon, a gripping jaw on said plate. a binding screw for holding said plate in adjusted position on said shank. a handle slidably mounted on one end of said shank normally held by spring tension in released position. and a gripping jaw carried by said handle whereby when said plate jaw is set against a receptacle cap and an endwise pressure is exerted on said handle its jaw is caused to cooperate with that on said plate to bite the cap between them to facilitate the removal of the cap from the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature.

ARTHUR HERCHEN.

jar, or bottle may be readily 

